As some of you may have read, I was recently nominated and approved as “Executive Director of the Sunstone Education Foundation” by its Board of Directors.
I hope to write more about Sunstone in the coming weeks and months, but in the mean time, I wanted to let you know, at a super high level, our vision and hopes for Sunstone:
Sunstone Motto: Faith Seeking Understanding
Our Vision Statement (in draft form): Sunstone is an independent forum for open, thoughtful, and constructive discussion of all things Mormon.
Our direction for Sunstone over the next several years will be to help continue and extend its long tradition of being:
- A primary source for Mormon-related current events, contemporary issues, scholarship, and art.
- A resource to bring Mormon Studies to Latter-Day Saints in fun, interesting and accessible ways.
- A gathering place and information hub for the Mormon Studies community.
- A resource for Latter-day Saints seeking additional support in their faith journey.
We need lots of help and support to make this vision a reality. If any of you would like to join in our efforts, two great ways to support Sunstone today include:
- Subscribing today to Sunstone magazine
- Attending the Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City this August 8-11th
- Volunteering to host a regional Sunstone symposium in your area
Please contact me if you are interested in finding a way to support.
More exciting news ahead, so please stay tuned!!!
Congratulations John – that is awesome!
Do you still have your day job? Because I was hoping to take advantage.
Congratulations, John! That’s awesome.
Congrats! They are lucky to have you . . .
A match made in heaven. You’re running out of mountains to climb, John.
Congratulations John! I know you will do a great job.
BIG congrats, John. Does this mean we can expect the Sunstone podcast to make a triumphant return?
annegb,
I’m still 3/4 time w/ MIT, and 1/4 time w/ Sunstone … so definitely don’t quite your day job. :)
Babblonian — That’s my hope!!!! We need to get those going again. Maybe we’ll fold Mormon Stories and Mormon Matters into all the Sunstone goodness…we’ll just have to see.
Congratulations John ! I am looking forward to reading (maybe a good subject for an upcoming MS podcast as well) about the changing direction of Sunstone.
Good for you!
Congratulations, John! This is great.
John,
Congratulations. I read the article in Deseret News from a T&S link. After listening to the women in the church series, I’ve been going back through some of the older podcasts and have just listened to the first 2 parts of your personal story. (I can’t find the place to comment directly on them, so I’ll just comment here if that’s okay). First, I was stunned at how much your story sounded like mine (up until your mission) especially your description of a strong youth program and Mormon-centered worldview, in addition to family problems propelling you into super-activity in the church. I also think it’s interesting that you said you envisioned yourself as a GA someday, and now you’re the ED at Sunstone. Good for you! Funny how things change, isn’t it?
Your podcasts serve an important purpose, and I’m glad that they are available for people like me who are trying to get through the internal conflicts and contradictions that come from close examination of one’s testimony against unsightly truths.
In your podcast, you discussed the nobility of truth, of people knowing reality, not just a white-washed history. I’m struggling to place my beliefs on this issue. I recently read a Dallin Oaks quote on the bloggernacle (it may have been from his PBS interview) where he is quoted as saying “Not everything that’s true is useful [to be shared].” He gives the example of personal flaws of great leaders staying out of history books. Do you agree with that? It’s been plaguing my mind for a while now. It seems like an odd quote coming from someone who seems to value history, etc. I wish he would have been more specific, or qualified it, because it does seem a little anti-academic or anti-free speech (speech is only free if it is true and useful, to me)
Anyway, thanks again for your podcasts and congratulations on your new job. Does this mean you are finished with your Ph.d? You’ll have to update your podcast series to fill listeners in on the most recent events in your life story.
Jessawhy,
That quote is actually from Boyd K. Packer from this talk. Elder Packer qualifies his remarks quite a bit in that talk. It can be very hard to read depening on your own position. This talk is kind of like the Anti-Sunstone declaration.
Interesting. I just went back to the BCC thread where they posted the transcripts from the PBS broadcast, and it attributes the quote to Oaks, specifically his talk on Reading Church History. But, I can imagine they both have similar views. Odd, but I’ve never thought about it as Anti-Sunstone, but I can see it framed that way. Thanks for the link.
https://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/07/pbs-interviews-with-church-leaders-posted/
Congratulations, John! They couldn’t have picked a better man for the job.
saw it coming.
congrats
Come to Sustaind.org and Sustain John in his new calling.
https://www.sustaind.org/story/Interview-John-Dehlin-executive-director-Sunstone/